In 2025, there have been numerous openings in college football. Among the openings for head coaches, schools like Penn State, LSU, Florida have topped the list with other openings at Arkansas, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Stanford among the Power Four conferences. With many of those jobs, Clark Lea was listed as a possible candidate. Vanderbilt University ended all of that speculation on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. A statement from Athletics Director Candace Storey Lee said: “Clark Lea embodies what is possible at Vanderbilt, and I am proud to continue this journey with him leading our football program.”
Clark Lea is firmly entrenched at Vanderbilt. In his younger days, Lea played fullback for the black and gold under the direction of Bobby Johnson. Beyond that, his father as well as his grandfather were both team physicians on West End Avenue. Lea grew up in West Nashville and attended Montgomery Bell Academy, just a few miles down the road from the Vanderbilt campus. Vanderbilt is home to Clark Lea. With today’s announcement, Lea announced to the world that he is staying where the heart is-at home.
When Clark Lea took over the program at Vanderbilt, the Commodores were coming off their first and only winless season in their history. In 2021, his first year at the school, his unit went just 2-10. By year two, one could see glimpses that he had the program moving in the right direction with a 5-7 record, winning their first SEC game since 2018 when they defeated the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats. In year three, that success was hard to follow as the team dropped back to 2-10, which included a 10-game losing streak after a 2-0 start. Cracks in the foundation appeared in relation to the new world of college football in the NIL era.
After some very deep self-evaluation, Coach Lea made significant roster changes as well as changes to his coaching staff. Adding Jerry Kill and Tim Beck to the offensive side from New Mexico State was a major move. He then named Steve Gregory as his defensive coordinator, a role Lea himself filled in 2023. Lea also made massive transfer portal waves by adding Diego Pavia and Eli Stowers to his program. In year four, Vanderbilt did the unthinkable by beating Alabama, their first-ever win over a No. 1-ranked team. The Commodores finished 7-6, and the excitement level had begun to rise. Even the environment surrounding First Bank Stadium was different, with the stands no longer being empty.
In 2025, there was cautious optimism that Vanderbilt could have a very good season by previous standards. What transpired has been beyond anyone’s belief. Sitting at 9-2 and firmly in the college football playoff picture, Lea’s name began to surface at a number of schools as a potential candidate to replace previously fired leaders. The 2025 version of Vanderbilt football is not what our fathers and grandfathers knew. This was DIFFERENT.
As part of the negotiations, Clark Lea wanted assurances that Vanderbilt was committed to the process. In an interview on Monday, Lea stated that he needed to see increased funding for his assistant coaches as well as additional amenities for his program. He will not only reportedly be receiving those but also a large pay increase for himself. It appears that he received everything he asked for with his new six-year extension. As a private university, Vanderbilt does not announce financial details of their coaches’ salaries. With their new agreement, VU AD Lee has given new meaning to the term “Black Friday” on West End Avenue in Nashville. In a statement with regards to the announcement, Clark Lea said: “Our vision has never been about one or two seasons; rather, it has always been about sustained success at a championship level.”
Beginning with today’s announcement, the real work on West End starts. While losing 35 seniors is going to be difficult, Vanderbilt must use this news to boost recruiting as well as their transfer portal presence. While rumors circulate on message boards, action is required. This extension shows that Vanderbilt is committed to football success, but just being committed isn’t enough. The work to back up the forward progress starts now, and on Black Friday, there is no better starting point.
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Writer
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